Technology Articles and Reports

JDA Software, a leader in the retail software with more than 4,800 customers will acquire Manugistics, a leading supply chain software vendor with over 800 customers. While JDA started by focusing on POS and retail optimization software, Manugistics grew by focusing on manufacturing. Forecasting, demand management, pricing, transportation management, supply, raw material inventory management and supply management are some of the functions from Manugistics. Retail portfolio management, channel clustering, assortment planning, shelf space management, inventory positioning, replenishment management, vendor managed replenishment, retail network planning, performance intelligence, warehouse replenishment are some of the functions from JDA Software. For quite some time both of them were trying to break into each others market. So merger will give both companies access to more customers. There are already more than some 100 customers using both the applications. So it is a strategic acquisition for JDA. JDA has a track record of successfully acquiring and integrating companies. See below for a list of acquisitions in the past.

Rich Products, a major Food products supplier and solutions provider with over $2 Billion in sales is outsourcing day-to-day transportation management solutions to Lean logistics. Managed transportation services division of lean Logistics will use its OnDemand software to manage daily operations for all Rich's locations, performing: planning and optimization; tendering of freight to carriers; monitoring carrier performance to plan and to contract (reporting exceptions and managing tactical issues); obtaining additional carrier and capacity options; and reviewing unanticipated accessorial and payment anomalies in LeanLogistics' WebSettle(R). Rich still retains control of strategic carrier relations and decisions. According to Supply and Demand chain executive, Rich evaluated 200 vendors before settling down with LeanLogistics managed TMS.